Fuselage-cover.



P; G. ZIMMERMANN.

FUSELAGE COVER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3|. I817.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ornrcn.

PAUL G. ZIMMEBMANN, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, JASSIGNOR TO CURTISS AEROPLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPOR AT10N OF NEW YORK.

u FUSELAGE-COVER.

Specification of Letters Pamt.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed May 31, 1917. Serial No. 172,047.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL G. Z'IMMERMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuselage-Covers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to aeroplanes and more particularly to improvements in constructional details of one of the fuselage parts.

The fuselage of an aeroplane is that part of the craft within which the propelling power plant; fuel, instruments and flying crew are inclosed. In its ensemble the fusela e com rises a cloth covered longitudina ly an transversely trussed frame of substantially streamline form together with parts or accessories, as it were, built on or attached to the frame after complete assembly. These parts, which include the cowls, hood and fuselage'cover, are made detachable, constructed as separate units, and independently characterized in many respects. To the latter named part, 2' e.,'-

the fuselage cover, the present invention specifically relates.

The fuselage covering, as made according to my invention, comprises a plurality of longitudinally separated sectors or ribs and a plurality of intersecting transversely separated stringers or strips. From the foremost aft the ribs decrease uniformly in length and depth to such an extent that the cover when completed is characterized by substantial flatness at its rear extremity.

I This particular formation is desirable. The

top lines of the fuselage are thus continued rearwardly from the eowls without a break in the continuity of the covering. In this way head resistance is reduced. The strips, however, are of uniform thickness throughout although as the cover decreases in width rearwardly the strips progressively increase in length. This obviates a concentration of the strips and stringers at said rearward end and eliminates excess weight. Moreover, the sectors or ribs are notched throughout the curved portions of their peripheries to receive the stringers or strips. Fabric, suitably doped or treated, is then used as a covering for the cover framework. Accordingly, there is evolved an extremely light, inexpensive and comparatively strong fuselage cover.

Of the drawings:

F igu'ie 1 is a side elevation of an aeroplane equipped with a fuselage cover of the Figuh is a section on the line 66 of Fig. '4=-.'

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating a modified form of sector.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, a fuselage cover, designated in its entirety by the numeral 10 is shown (in Fig. 1) as attached to'the fuselage 11 of an aeroplane. The size and shape of the fuselage 11 depends upon the location of the horizontal stabilizer and cowls. .The horizontal stabilizer in the embodiment of the invention disclosed is shown as located in the plane of the fuselage cover 10 and,in such manner that it might well be described as I a rearward continuation thereof, The cowls, designated 13, continue the fuselage cover 10 forwardly beyond the engine section. In other words, the parts 13, 10 and 12, constitute a streamline covering of a construction offering a minimum of resistance by reason of the continuity of the outer silrf'ace of the covering rearwardly from the cockpit without a break. Where the stabilizing surface 12 is located in. a plane removed from the plane of the cover 10, the latter should be continued rearwardly without interruption to the extreme after end of the fuselage. Such changes, however,

purview of the inventhe rearmost sector 21. In fact, this decrease in depth from the foremost sector aft is so marked that the rearmost-sector 21 1s nothing more than a transverse rib of substantially uniform depth throughout. These ribs or sectors are intersected at right angles by a plurality of uniformly spaced stringers or strips 22. The length of the strips 22 vary as the width of the cover decreases rearwardly, the strips at the center of the cover being longer than the strips in the vicinity f its margins. Accordingly a greater number of strips intersect the forward sectors of the framework than intersect the sectors at the rear. The strips 22 may be described as progressively increasing in length from the margins of the cover inwardly as the width of the cover decreases rearwardly (see Fig. 3).

At the lateral margins of the framework extra heavy strips or stringers 23 are provided. These stringers 23, unlike the stringers 22 do not extend in parallelism throughout their respective lengths but taper inwardly from front to rear. The degree or extent of this taper is determined by the tail formation of the fuselage. Under all circumstances the stringers 23 and the upper longerons of the fuselage (not. shown) should lie parallel, with the stringers seated on the longerons. Through this arrangement appropriate fastenings 24 may be used to removably hold the fuselage cover in place.

The curved portion of the periphery of each sector is notched transversely as at'25 to receive the strips or stringers 22. In this way the said strips or stringers are let in for a portion of their thickness at least and accordingly held against casual lateral displacement. Each strip at its point of intersection is glued.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 it will be noted that the strips- 22 are uniformly separated and that the top surfaces of the several strips I constitute an outer arch or support for the fabric covering 26. By drawing the fabric tight over the siipport thus provided it is held out of contact with the sectors and prevented from sagging between strips at all points. If desired, each sector may be vertically braced as at 27 in Fig. 5 or as at 28 'in Fig. 6. As the" depth of the sectors increases the need for bracing means becomes more apparent.

The marginal stringers 23 are also let in at their points of intersection with the sectors. In this connection it will be noted that the sectors are terminally notched as at 29. In

addition to the strips 22 and the strips 23 cap strips 30 are provided. These strips, however, do not engage in notches formed in the sectors but lie fiat against the curved edges thereof in proximity to the strips 23.

Said cap strips 30 prevent inward sagging of the fabric 26 at the edges of the cover or framework. They also reinforce the connection between the marginal stringers and the sectors in that they are fastened by any suitable means to both. By twisting said strips a flat bearing surface for the fabric throughout the length of the framework is provided. r

Another characteristic of the invention is the construction of the framework at its 1501" ward end in such manner that a shelf or receptacle is caused to occupy that space which would otherwise constitute a waste. Said shelf, designated 31, is formed by connecting the bottom edges of the sectors 14 and 15 and the bottom edges of the marginal strips 23 between said sectors and equipping the sector 14 with a removable panel or door 32 by way of which access may be gained to the inclosed useful space. Such a construction is especially desirable in military ma chines by reason of the additional storage spects the modified type of cover is identical with the preferred.

While in the foregoing there has beenillu-strated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the 'preferred construction or embodiment of this invention, it is nevertheless desired to mphasize the fact that interpretation of he invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A fuselage covering for airplanes ineluding a frame work built up of a plurality of transversely extending longitudinallyseparated sectors anda plurality of inter secting longitudinally extending strips; the shape of the cover being determined by decreasing the depth and length of the sectors from the foremost sector aft and, the strength and weight of the cover determined by progressively increasing the length of the strips fromthe lateral'margins inwardly toward the center of the cover and disposing.

said strips substantially parallel.

2. A fuselage cover for airplanes including a frame work built'up of a plurality of transversely extending longitudinally separated sectors and a plurality of intersecting longitudinally extending strips; the

shape of the cover being determined by 'decreasing the depth and length of the sectors from the foremost sector aft; the extent of variation in the shape of the sectors being such that the foremost sector is deeper intermediately of its ends than at its ends while the rearmost sector is of substantially constant depth throughout.

3. A fuselage cover for aeroplanes including marginal stringers converging inwardly toward one end, terminally notched sectors interconnecting said stringers, the stringers engaging in the terminal notches aforesaid, and a plurality of longitudinally extending intermediate stringers arranged to intersect said sectors at right angles, said intermediate stringers extending parallel and in length progressively increasing inwardly from the marginal stringers toward the center of the cover.

4. A fuselage cover for aeroplanes includ ing a fabric covered framework built up of a plurality of transversely extendin longitudinally separated sectors and a p%urali-ty of intersecting longitudinally extending strips; the shape of the cover being determined by decreasing the depth and length of the sectors from the foremost sector a'ft; and the strength and weight of the cover determined by progressively increasing the length of the strips from the margins inwardly toward the center of the cover-and disposing all strips in parallelism.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

PAUL G. ZIMMERMANN. 

